The REAL Immortals~
by Junipertree
Summary: It's gonna get worse, maybe even R. It turns out the Immortals story was rather glossed over... in fact, quite a bit was changed. This is what REALLY happened. If you like D/N, or just Daine in general, then brace yourself for an onslaught of trashing- pl
1.

I'm still doing the Faeya thing, but this was such a good idea I couldn't let it go

I'm still doing the Faeya thing, but this was such a good idea I couldn't let it go. Caution: leave any hopes for Daine's success behind. This will also have quite a bit of Miri- she's a cool character, I think there should've been more of her.

Disclaimer: I don't own any of Tamora Pierce's stuff. Anything you don't recognize belongs to me (like the plot- well kinduf) so don't sue.

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The REAL Immortals Part 1: Wild Magic

Chapter 1: Bandit with a Pony

Onua Chamtong looked around the market, and sighed. She'd never find the helper she needed. Taking one last glance around, she turned to lead her ponies away.

~*~

Veralidaine Sarrasri led her pony, Cloud, down the track. Cloud had the few belongings she'd chosen to keep, as well as some food on her back. Daine was mildly sad at leaving her old post; she'd gotten good traffic.

But Galla was _so_ boring and predictable. Life had been simply dull. So Daine decided to go to Tortall to seek adventure- life as a bandit was harder there. But in Tortall- Tortall had very few bandits now, compared to her home. Those blasted Queen's Riders had caught 'em all. Travelers were less cautious- easy prey.

Yes, Daine had heard all the rumors- that Tortallans carried king's ransoms on their backs- and credited only a small portion of it. But once she was a ways into the Tortallan border, she set up camp and lay in wait.

The rumors were almost true. It was _amazing._ Half of the travelers weren't even armed! Now Daine lay in wait for the next traveler…

She was in luck. There was only one woman, a dog, and a whole fleepin' _herd_ of ponies! _Expensive_ ponies! The woman looked tough, but one good shot-

Daine put the crossbow up to her shoulder and sighted. Just a little bit to the right- she fired. Suddenly one of the ponies reared up and knocked woman to the side, and Daine's quarrel lodged in the woman's backpack with a _ping._ Daine cursed and loaded another bolt. _Probably hit a cup or something._ The woman narrowed her eyes and whipped her head over to Daine's hiding spot, causing the girl to curse again. 

The woman tensed, and was surrounded by a faint glow. A moment later, it dissipated, and she unslung a small bow from her back and notched an arrow to it in one smooth motion. Cursing some more, Daine tried to back up and got snarled in the prickly brambles she'd used to cover her back. Galloping and dust in the distance heralded the arrival of others; Daine was royally screwed.

The 'others' turned out to be the famed Queen's Riders that all the local bandits were shivering at. A group of (****help me out here. I'm going to say six, but I really can't remember***) perhaps six people on horseback, with six more ponies following behind was coming her way fast. An arrow swished through the bushes at her shoulder, and Daine knew that was only a warning.

Thrice cursed! This woman must have summoned the Riders in some way- the glowing thing. Cloud stayed with her, not wishing to go out alone or abandon her mistress. Sighing and thinking sardonic thoughts, Daine let herself be extracted from the brambles. It was seven to one: no escape. 

Growling to herself, she submitted to being tied at the hands and feet and flung up over one of the Rider's pony. Not Cloud, they didn't trust her. Her pony was led out to the side of the group, where her belongings were unpacked with little more than a few bites (understatement). One of the Riders, a girl a few years older than her, rode up.

"What were you thinking, ambushing Onua Chamtong?" Daine realized the girl was talking to her. "_Everyone_ knows that her ponies fight for her- not to mention her dog. Where have you been for the past decade?"

"Galla," Daine grunted.

The older girl nodded. "You look it." Then she shook her head. "But you sure as hell don't look like a bandit. You look like a girl who stays at home with her ma and cooks."

Daine almost laughed. "It's kind of ironic, isn't it? Bandits burn my home so I become one of them. That is the absolute height of irony. Irony, irony, irony," She mumbled. "If you touch Cloud, I'm gonna rip out your guts and string a harp to play your death song."

The girl seemed surprised, disgusted, confused, then shrugged. "My name's Miri." And she turned her pony away.

Maybe an hour later they stopped, as it was getting dark. A frown was permanently etched into Daine's face, as if she hadn't smiled in years. 

She spat out some of her brown curls that had been blown in her face during the long ride. It had been next to impossible to stay astride when her hands were tied behind her back. While Daine was unloaded, she thought morbid thoughts and tried not to kick her captors.

~*~

Miri flipped open the tent flap and plopped down inside. "It's just one thing after another, isn't it?" she mumbled to herself. "First the attack on the village, then some bandit who half the group won't shoot because she's too attractive. Damn men!" she slammed her fist on her sleeping bag, which she was in the process of unrolling. "They should have made me Leader of the Group! Why did _Evin _get to be the Leader? He was such a stuck-up pig…" _No, he isn't,_ a little voice inside her said. _You know he's fair. And kind. And attractive._ She stopped that train of thought right there. _No, he's not! _ She thought fiercely. _I'm not going to moon over boys like that Selda did. And anyway, the chances of dying as a Rider are to high for any relationships. _She got even more angry with herself for thinking that. _Blast it! Keep you attention on the problem at hand! Focus!_

Muttering some more, she exited the tent and blinked in the bright sunlight. Rubbing her face, she went over to talk to her Leader.

~*~

Tap, tap, tap. Impatiently Miri listened to Evin's mile-long monologue. Oh, no, we can't kill her, not in cold blood. After all, she has been co-operating so far. And we _must_ give her a chance, mustn't we? The penalty for bandits was incarceration, not death. 

__

Ooh, I'd like to give him a good punch in the face…Miri was fuming. She could easily see the _real_ reason for him not shooting her on the spot. The girl was pretty now, but all decked up in a ballgown, with lip rouge and face paint- she'd be enough to melt any boy's heart. _So you like younger girls, eh?_ Miri grated to herself. _Someone with a chest flatter than a cutting-board. _No matter what she tried to tell herself, Miri kept going through replays of a gruesome murder for the girl. _Goddess! Could I be- jealous?_

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So- waddaya think? Please please please review!


	2. What Hawk?

Hee hee… on we go…

Hee hee… on we go…

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Chapter 2: What Hawk?

Miri growled at her prisoner, and continued her fruitless questioning.

"Gods dammit!" she cried. "I don't even know your _name!_"

Daine blinked. "Veralidaine Sarrasri."

The girl next to Miri sneered. "_Sarra_sri?"

Daine gave the girl a searing look. "You dissin' my Ma?"

"Girl, I'm dissin' _you._"

Miri had no doubts that if Daine had had any weapons on her person right now, the girl would be now lying in a pool of her own blood.

"Why do you have to make it so _difficult?_" Miri said, exasperated. "It is so _infuriating!_"

Daine smirked. "You just answered your own question."

"You little bas-" Miri cut herself off, thinking it was no good to call her that; she'd been called one all her life. "Look," she said, lowering her voice. "You can make this easy, or you can make this hard. Which method do you prefer?"

"You know torturing is illegal!" the girl beside Miri protested. "You-"

"Shut up." Miri turned her head back to Daine. "Spill it. Not because I'm going to torture you, not because I'm horribly persistent, not because I want to waste your time. I'm doing it because I'm nosy."

Daine's jaw dropped open, and snapped shut. "Now what does you care about a bannit like me?" she grinned lopsidedly. "Why doesn't you just throw lil ol' me into the local gallows and let yourself off easy?"

"_Because, _'bannit,'" Miri replied, "Since we can't prove you've ever actually _killed_ someone, we can't give you the death sentence. So you have to have a trial, and a prison sentence. That's the price of being just."

Daine blinked. "Just? Never heard of it."

~*~

"I saw a bloody _hawk,_ dammit!" Daine yelled. "It was black, and it was flying like a drunkard! And there were _monsters_ flying after it!"

Everyone snorted. "I _saw it,_ you mother-fuckers!" she yelled again, louder. "There were big monsters flying after it, with steel wings and claws, and human bodies! They _felt_ wrong!"

Everyone continued not to heed her, thinking it was just an attempt to escape. Daine threw her head back and _screeched._ Everything made of glass shattered. From Drona's beads to Tarlian's glasses, they all broke at that instant. Everyone looked at Daine, who was still howling at the top of her lungs.

A flash of bright light came in the air, blinding half the Riders. Screeches almost as harsh as Daine's tore the air, causing everyone to press their hands over their ears. Five _things_ dove from the trees, swooping in on steel wings. One dove down, raking Drona's head. Her screaming merely added to the noise. 

"Archers!" yelled Evin, picking up his own bow. They shot arrow after arrow, eventually bringing the monsters down (and losing all their arrows). Throughout the whole ordeal, Daine just sat there, looking smug and telling everyone 'I told you so!'

Soon four smelly carcasses were rotting in the sun. The fifth was hovering beyond shooting distance, one arrow oozing black puss stuck in her eye. Her crown of black stone glinted in the sun, and a vicious scowl marred her face.

"You'll all answer to the justice of Zhaneh Bitterclaws!" she screeched. "Your faces are imprinted in my memory!" with a final scream, she winged off, the archers shooting after her. Miri turned back to Daine.

"Is this what you want, girl?" her voice wavered. "Did you call these… these monsters?" Blood dripped down her forehead from the gauges in her skull.

Daine smiled, almost sweetly. "No, dear girl, I did not summon the Stormwings. _You_ are the ones who did not heed my warning, and now your companion in dead."

Miri turned around to the stretcher carrying Drona's body. It was mangled, bloody, and with large chunks ripped out of it. The Rider girl took one look at it, and rushed over to the bushes to heave up her lunch. Daine sat at her pole and smiled, inhaling the fresh air. "Beautiful day to be alive, isn't it?"

~*~

"She's disgusting," Miri snarled to her Leader. "She saw Drona's body- and she _smiled._ She's a sadist, Evin."

Evin shook his head. "I'm afraid I can't credit that, Mir."

Miri whipped back to face Evin. "Why? Do you have fancies of bedding her, dear Leader? I thought better of you than to become infatuated with such a bitch."

And Evin _was_ infatuated. And Daine did nothing to discourage his infatuation. She _flirted_ with him, flaunting her curves like a prostitute. Which might very well be one of her careers.

"Not all people are anti-socials like you, Miri." Evin growled back.

"I should think you'd like to do a bit more than socialize with her."

Evin's face turned red. "Get out! _I_ am Leader and you shall do as I say! The girl is _not_ to be killed, and you had better shut your mouth before you get demoted from Second!"

Miri, contorted with rage, stormed out of the tent and grabbed her mare. "That's it." She hissed. "Get out of my way. I'm going for a ride." The Rider tending the mounts backed off, and Miri kicked her horse into a gallop.

She wove through the trees as if chasing outlaws, keeping her head low and trying not to think about anything but riding. The _bastard!_ He didn't know what he was doing- the girl was dangerous. And all he wanted to do was get laid. Miri finally slowed down the tiring mount when she got to a clearing. Jumping off, she looked around her and sat down on a flat rock to the side. _It's not fair,_ she thought, putting her head in her hands. _Why did the girl have to come along and screw up everything? And Evin…_her hands balled into fists. _All he cares about is Daine's smooth features, not what's inside. He doesn't even care that other people, good people, want him…_She stifled a sob. _I don't need him. He's just a shallow little mother-fucking asshole…_ but deep inside, she knew that wasn't true.

"I hate him!" she yelled into the woods. "I hate him!" her voice echoed into the trees, silence following. Silence broken only by- something. Miri strained her ears, trying to hear it again. A soft whimper- like bird.

Following her ears, she wandered through the forest. She had to backtrack a few times, and came to a halt at a hollow log. Bending over, she peered into it to see a black hawk lying in it.

"How strange," she told it. "I've never seen a black hawk before." She tentatively held out a hand, and the hawk wiggled towards her. She pulled it out of the log, wondering at it. Daine had spoken of a hawk, a black one. She'd been telling the truth. But the hawk's wing was held at a funny angle, and Miri could see it was broken. From its unsure stance, it was sick as well.

"Poor little birdie…" she cooed to it. The crack of twigs behind her made her start, before she saw who it was. "Onua!" she cried. "What are you doing here?"

Onua pointed a finger at the hawk. "Looking for _that._"

Miri narrowed her eyes. "What would you want with a hawk?"

Onua narrowed her eyes right back at Miri. "He is a mage."

Miri stared incredulously at the raptor in her hands. "You're kidding, right?"

"He must have been trapped in hawk form. Give him to me, I need to heal him." Miri shrugged and handed the bird over to the horsemistress. "Whatever."

Onua gave a little smile. "Say hello to Numair Samalίn."

Miri's jaw dropped to the forest floor. "That's _Numair?_ Gods, Onua, why didn't you tell me?"

"It's supposed to be a secret."

"_Supposed._"

"Goose."

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he he! Review!!! Please!! 


	3. Spidrens Meditate

Chapter 3: Spidrens Meditate

Umm… a lot of romance this chapter. I felt very soppy today, I think I've got fluffitis… Note: in this fic Daine is fifteen and Miri is eighteen… had to up the ages for the circumstances. Okay, last name crisis here. I've been saying Numair Samalin for years, and now Windwhisper says it's SALAMIN. So I looked in the book and it says SALMALIN. Geez! It's like back when I used to say Numiar Samalin…

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Chapter 3: Spidrens Meditate

Daine was pissed off. Her captors weren't going to do anything with her, and their speed south, to the capital, was slow. _Very_ slow. And that little whelp Evin wasn't helping either- mooning about like that. Miri was treating her like the black plague, and everyone else seemed petrified at the thought of her. Rightly.

~*~

"Cheexza," one spidren hissed to the other. "Mortals approach. Awake the nest and the web-pack."

Cheexza grinned, showing her sharp, pointed teeth. "We shall have a feast."

Lhteiws glared. "Do it! Now! Before I-" he was silenced by an arrow thudding in the back of his neck. Cheexza stared at her companion, speechless, and dashed off into the forest before the men could catch her.

~*~

"Fucking spidrens," Sardol cursed. "They have to be everywhere." 

"Look!" Tyla yelled back at him. Everyone stopped. They could see clearly three spidrens, sitting on a branch, still as death. Their mouths were shut. Their faces were blank.

"What _are_ they doing?" Tarlian asked, rubbing his eyes (he was still without his glasses).

"They look like they're- they're meditating." Tyla replied with awe. "Who ever heard of that?"

"Who said nonhumans can't meditate?" Tarlian retorted.

Tyla merely shrugged. "They can't do magic."

"Neither can you."

"Yes they can!" Sardol piped up. "It's in their webs!"

Tyla threw her hands up. "Whatever! I can't contend with such twisted logic!"

"Twisted logic-" Tarlian began.

"Just shut up and shoot!" Miri practically yelled. They all jumped to attention and shot, impaling the spidrens before they even lifted an eyelid.

When they got back to camp, Daine was gone.

~*~

It wasn't _too_ hard to escape her bonds, once Daine got Cloud to chew them. Stupid Riders hadn't even left a guard. So Daine whistled as she walked down the road to Corus. It would be childsplay to find a job there, once she got around to it. Meanwhile she'd do some petty pick-pocketing and buy some food. Yes, it was a wonderful day to be alive.

~*~

Miri swung open the tent-flap, ready to give Evin the tongue-lashing of his life. She stopped when she saw him sitting there, back towards her, head in his hands.

"It's my fault." he said. "I was stupid. You were right."

It took a while for those words to register in Miri's head. "I'm sorry," she said, and sat down beside him. _Having fun snuggling up to your boyfriend?_ A niggling voice in her mind said, but she ignored it.

"What are you sorry for?" he replied bitterly. "My first year as Leader and I mess up on something as stupid as this."

"Everyone makes mistakes."

"You were right, Mir," he told her as if she hadn't said anything. "You should have been Leader. I can't do it."

Miri was disturbed by the note his words rang in her mind. "It wasn't only this," he continued. "Remember the robbery at fief Hanniwere? Remember the murderer of Darie's Ridge?" she winced, and Evin continued. "I'm a failure, Mir. This was the last straw." He unpinned something from his shirt and handed it to her. It was his Leader's pin, a gold horse rearing with a number one in the middle. Her own, the Second's pin, was a pony standing with a number two. The rest were ponies lying down with the numbers three, four, five, and six. Drona had been five; now Sardol took her spot.

Miri made no move to take it, so Evin shoved it into her hands and forced them closed. "I'm leaving." And he started to get up.

"No!" Miri said, holding on to his arm. "I am the Leader, and you stay."

Evin smile wryly. "Got me there. Should've left and _then_ given you the pin. But I'm going."

"No you're not." Miri swallowed. "Because- Because I-" she choked on her words. With trembling hands she removed her Second's pin and handed it to him. Then she got up and pushed her way out of the tent. She had been so close! And she messed it up again.

Miri fastened the pin onto her jerkin and looked up at the sky. The moon was almost full, tonight, and the stars were bright. She looked at the familiar constellations, the Warrior, the Snake, the Chariot, the Cat… She felt hands on her shoulders and turned around to face Evin.

"Because what?" he whispered.

Miri half-closed her eyes, feeling his warm breath on her face. Sub-consciously she moved closer to him, putting her hands around his waist. She looked up into his eyes, wishing oh-so-dearly that this wasn't a mistake… Then she closed the gap between them, and pressed her lips softly against his. His hands moved up to tangle in her hair, pressing her tighter against him. Miri's breathing came faster, she wanted him so much.

"No," she croaked, pushing him away. She didn't even look back at him as she went off to her tent. 

As she lay in the dark, wide awake, she pondered why she'd done what she'd done. She _wanted_ him, more than anyone she'd ever met, but- but Evin was Evin. The ladies' man, the Player with all the girlfriends. What made her any more than that in his eyes? Sure Miri had had her share of boyfriends- she blushed when she counted them all up. Well, she wasn't exactly chaste either. Then why had she turned him away?

Because of Daine. She still half-wanted to kill him for that. She hated him for Daine, not just jealousy. He had been stupid and shallow, and that had cost Drona's life.

Because he used people. He would flaunt her and say, 'oh look at the fishie I caught', and grin his Player grin.

Because you couldn't have relationships in the Riders. That was it. To be a Rider you couldn't be married or have any children. Well, the consequences of having a lasting affair was just that. Marriage and children. Her former lovers were all very casual, and sure there was passion, lust, and maybe a little love, but they all knew it wouldn't last. But she wanted Evin so much more… and if she gave into that, she'd say bye-bye to her career, her life. Being a Rider was everything to her, and the Ninth Rider group was like a family. To leave them behind…

But as she dropped off to sleep she couldn't help thinking how lonely her bed was, how cold. How she wished…

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Oh, and Mr. poke-insanity, gone-haywire (aka anonomous) you spelled anonymous wrong. And it's a.k.a., so STOP FLAMING OR I'LL- well, let's not get into that. IF YA DON'T LIKE IT THEN DONT READ IT, AND DON"T SAY DAINE'S OUT OF CHARACTER BECAUSE THAT'S THE POINT!!!!!


	4. The King's Pet Mage

Disclaimer, yada yada yada

Disclaimer, yada yada yada. Please, please, please don't flame. I'm warning you ahead of time, this chapter is VERY mean to Daine. And Numair. Do you think I should up the rating to R? Take note: Rider's group consists of Miri (Leader) Evin (Second) Tyla (third) Tarlian (fourth) Sardol (fifth) and Arindtse (sixth), just to clarify things. 

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Chapter 4: The King's Pet Mage

Daine was having fun. Or at least, her twisted notion of fun. She had established herself well in the lower city community, with some petty thievery and the like. But that wasn't her main source of income.

Prostitution. Hey- it paid the bills. She only accepted half of her customers- the ones she trusted. She was top-notch; she charged a lot for her services. In fact, some of the most prestigious people in Corus came to share her bed. One, in particular.

His name was Numair Salmalin. Probably the most powerful mage in the world, a black robe. Not the kind of person you'd think to frequent the whorehouse halls. But he was a loyal customer, and he had one important thing: money. He was rich, and horny. The best possible combination, in Daine's eyes. But he was getting rather attached to Daine; that would have to be changed.

"Veralidaine…" he murmured in her ear. Daine winced. _Far_ too attached. Come on, she was just a common whore… not a classy like Numair. And she didn't want to be tied down to anyone- like being in a cage. 

After they were done, Daine took on a businesslike aura. "That will be four gold nobles, please." Numiar cut her off with a kiss, and they started all over again. "Five." She added. By the time Numair was satisfied, he'd spent _six_ gold nobles. Well. There was an up-side to this attachment.

~*~

Daine finally shook off Numair, and went downstairs to talk to her other prossie friends. They were in the middle of a lengthly conversion when she entered the room.

"…And then Staramia went and married the bastard- without her parents' consent! Of course chaos ensued." Daine plopped down next to the girl who was speaking.

"Oh hi, Dai!" Prishi said. "We were just talking about Fondroll- you remember him? The noble lad? Where have you been? With that horny mage of yours, no doubt. He wouldn't sleep with anyone else since you came."

Daine grinned. "Would you believe it? _Six_ gold nobles! I swear he has the sex drive of a warren of rabbits!" The girls at the table giggled. 

"You're gonna be one rich prossie, Dai." Folly giggled. "Just think of that! What endurance!" the rest of the girls laughed even louder. "He should be a marathoner!" all the girls broke into hysterical laughter.

~*~

Numair Salmalin, the Greatest Mage In The World, sighed dreamily into his pillow. Ah, that was the lass for him. But it was no good falling in love with a prossie…. They just wanted your money. Everybody knew that. But that Veralidaine Sarrasri was… unbelievably attractive. Her sensuous lips, her silky hair, her… well, let's not get into that. 

And the girl had great magic. She had more Wild Magic than anybody he'd ever seen- it was just impossible. She could be a powerful mage if she wished. He would just have to tell her, she'd understand, he could cart her away to some romantic isle… yes, that would be the thing to do. She'd understand, he knew she would. Then they could be together always… (***A/N: SOP! SOP! SOP!***)

~*~

Miri looked over her new sixth, a young girl named Arindtse. She was an amazing tracker, and even better at riding, but her swordsmanship was enough to make you cry. But she'd do, with some polishing. And her training was enough to keep Miri's mind of other things. Evin, for one. At his name, Miri put a wall between herself and that thought. She _wasn't _going to think about him, she didn't need him, she didn't want him. And that was that. But Miri knew she was living a lie. Evin was… not himself. Miri suspected some funny business, but he always seemed to be gone at 4:20. Every day, poof! At 4:20, he was gone. She just wished she could help him…

~*~

If you don't get that, 4:20 is the national time to smoke pot. I just _had_ to throw in a lame joke! This was getting too dark! *ficreaders look exasperated* okay, so it wasn't that funny. But dammit, I try! Oh- and please review.


	5. O.A.F.

Um, this is an officially abandoned fic ****

O.A.F

Um, this is an officially abandoned fic. Why? Because:

1. The more I write, the more slutty Daine looks. It's hopeless.

2. I'm strapped for ideas.

3. I have other, more interesting, stuff to work on.

I may resume this one day… but not now. I don't want to erase it, so it's staying up, but there probably won't be any more. Probably, unless I get at least five reviews begging me not to stop. ; )


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